NH Supreme Court Releases ConVal Decision
Contact Name: Marina Altschiller, Zack Sheehan
Phone: (603) 271-3207
CONCORD – Today, the New Hampshire Supreme Court released their decision on the case of the ConVal School District v. State of New Hampshire. The decision sends the case back to the Superior Court for trial on the merits.
After the release of the decision, Senator Jay Kahn (D-Keene), Representative Mel Myler (D-Hopkinton), and Representative David Luneau (D-Hopkinton) issued the following statements:
“By remanding the case to the Superior Court, this ruling provides plaintiffs the opportunity to argue the harm in the state’s current adequate education funding formula,” stated Senator Jay Kahn (D-Keene). “By failing to distribute state funding based on a district's student needs and community characteristics, the opportunity for an adequate education is made more unequal across the state. This debate has been ongoing in the courts and the legislature for decades. It is long past time for New Hampshire to adopt a state allocation model that compensates school districts for differences in student need and community characteristics.
“The Commission has laid the foundation of new findings on the impact of improper school funding by the state that has led to unequal education opportunities for students across the state,” added Representative Mel Myler (D-Hopkinton).
“Legislative efforts to improve public education should be measured by meaningful improvements in student equity and the taxpayer equity that follows it,” said Representative Dave Luneau (D-Hopkinton). “The clock has started for the state to replace the antiquated one-size-fits-all funding model and make sure every school district has access to the financial resources they need.”
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